Slight issue with S3 Hard Drive Upgrade using WinMFS

Hi all! I am in the process of upgrading my much loved S3 with a 1.0 TB drive. I have successfully backed up the .tbk image, but I am trying to keep the recordings on the original drive. However, when I click on "MFSCopy..." I get the following message: "Restore Bootpage: You are about to overwrite DOS or Windows Drive. Are you sure?"

Out of fear of destroying my computer, I thought I would check the forum, but I couldn't find any posts with this message. Is this normal and should I proceed?

In case it matters, I am running Win 7 64Bit. The Tivo model is TCD648250B, and I am upgrading to a Seagate Drive.

Make sure the model numbers on WinMFS match the drive you are going to make the Tivo drive.

It sounds like either you have selected your Windows drive and not the Seagate drive, or the Seagate drive was previously used as a windows drive.

Click to expand...

The Seagate is a brand new drive from NewEgg. I verified the Drive ID in WinMFS, and it says it's "unknown or blank". When I click on "MFSCopy...", I don't get an option to select a drive. The message comes up right away.

Hi all! I am in the process of upgrading my much loved S3 with a 1.0 TB drive. I have successfully backed up the .tbk image, but I am trying to keep the recordings on the original drive. However, when I click on "MFSCopy..." I get the following message: "Restore Bootpage: You are about to overwrite DOS or Windows Drive. Are you sure?"

Out of fear of destroying my computer, I thought I would check the forum, but I couldn't find any posts with this message. Is this normal and should I proceed?

In case it matters, I am running Win 7 64Bit. The Tivo model is TCD648250B, and I am upgrading to a Seagate Drive.

Thanks!

Click to expand...

I assume you are running WinMFS. Did you crack open your PC or are you using USB to SATA cables? If you cracked open your PC, you must have your Windows drive still connected as well as the source drive and the destination drive - correct? Did Windows mount the destination drive? If so, it needs to be unmounted or it needs to have WinMFS overwrite the boot sector. When I run WinMFS it doesn't even show my Windows drive, even if I ask it to show mounted drives. I find that the easiest way is to use cheap USB to SATA cables. And yes, you need to right-click on WinMFS to run it as Administrator.

The Seagate is a brand new drive from NewEgg. I verified the Drive ID in WinMFS, and it says it's "unknown or blank". When I click on "MFSCopy...", I don't get an option to select a drive. The message comes up right away.

Any other thoughts? Is this a common message?

Click to expand...

The way I did it was, under WInMFS, I used backup, then restore to the new drive, then (i forget what was this step) then, finally, supersize.

The Seagate is a brand new drive from NewEgg. I verified the Drive ID in WinMFS, and it says it's "unknown or blank". When I click on "MFSCopy...", I don't get an option to select a drive. The message comes up right away.

Any other thoughts? Is this a common message?

Click to expand...

Suspect that the new Seagate drive has become "mounted", for whatever reason. "Check" the box that says "show mounted drives"(or something to that effect).

Always double check though, that you are writing to the correct drive. Disconnect all uninvolved drives.

Hi all! I am in the process of upgrading my much loved S3 with a 1.0 TB drive. I have successfully backed up the .tbk image, but I am trying to keep the recordings on the original drive. However, when I click on "MFSCopy..." I get the following message: "Restore Bootpage: You are about to overwrite DOS or Windows Drive. Are you sure?"

Out of fear of destroying my computer, I thought I would check the forum, but I couldn't find any posts with this message. Is this normal and should I proceed?

In case it matters, I am running Win 7 64Bit. The Tivo model is TCD648250B, and I am upgrading to a Seagate Drive.

Thanks!

Click to expand...

I think I believe is the problem, you tried to do expand, aka MfaAdd, on a blank drive.

Do this:

1. Backup the old drive. (I know you did this step, just noting.)
2. Restore to the new drive.
3. Expand (MFSAdd)
4. SuperSize.

I think I believe is the problem, you tried to do expand, aka MfaAdd, on a blank drive.

Do this:

1. Backup the old drive. (I know you did this step, just noting.)
2. Restore to the new drive.
3. Expand (MFSAdd)
4. SuperSize.

Click to expand...

So your steps worked great! Only now, the S3 unit randomly freezes to the point that it is unusable and needs to be unplugged and restarted. I guess the drive I bought was a bad one (?). Any suggestions for a better drive to use? The ones listed in the Upgrade FAQ are all out of circulation.

So your steps worked great! Only now, the S3 unit randomly freezes to the point that it is unusable and needs to be unplugged and restarted. I guess the drive I bought was a bad one (?). Any suggestions for a better drive to use? The ones listed in the Upgrade FAQ are all out of circulation.

Thanks!

Click to expand...

You never gave us the model number, firmware, and manufacturing date and location on that drive.

The drive is quite possibly just fine, but just not fully compatible with TiVos.

And if Seagate had any interest in addressing the issue (TiVo users are probably 1% of 1% of 1% of their total sales), they'd point out that the drive wasn't designed for TiVos and that TiVos weren't designed to have the drives replaced with bigger ones by the user.

You can probably stick the drive in a computer running TiVo Desktop, format it as one big NTFS partition, and use it copy shows to from the TiVo just fine.

So your steps worked great! Only now, the S3 unit randomly freezes to the point that it is unusable and needs to be unplugged and restarted. I guess the drive I bought was a bad one (?). Any suggestions for a better drive to use? The ones listed in the Upgrade FAQ are all out of circulation.

Thanks!

Click to expand...

If the Seagate drive you used is more power-hungry than the drives normally used in TiVos (like a 7200-rpm drive might be), it could be pulling the 12V (probably) supply voltage low intermittently. I'm guessing that could conceivably cause random freezes.

If the Seagate drive you used is more power-hungry than the drives normally used in TiVos (like a 7200-rpm drive might be), it could be pulling the 12V (probably) supply voltage low intermittently. I'm guessing that could conceivably cause random freezes.

Click to expand...

Especially if the power supply is beginning to develop problems.

Maybe there should be a new rule.

Replace all caps n the 5 and 12 Volt rails whether they look bad or not, then upgrade the drive.

But based on personal experience, I'm thinking those Seagates just don't work with TiVos, or vice versa.

Ok, you guys were dead on - looks like I have a blown capacitor. Here's what is written on it: CapXon 2200uF25v / KF105'C C620 VENT

I have some experience with soldering (fixed my kids' DS a few times, and soldered some audio connections, etc.).

My questions are:

1. Any recommendations on where to buy replacements? If so, any particular brand?
2. Should I buy an exact duplicate, or is there a better cap to replace it with?

THANKS!!

Click to expand...

The two numbers you really want to pay attention to are the voltage and the capacitance values.

The voltage value on the replacement cap must be at least the same, but you could possibly get away with going one step up. Example: bad cap is rated 12v, replacement cap should be 12v but you might get away with using one rated higher, but you don't want to go too high.

You will want to match the capacitance value exactly.

Edit: The 105'C might be important. I believe that is a temperature rating.